India's fight against corruption

A systematic reform of work culture is required to fight India’s tough battle against corruption

2014 seems to usher a new hope for Indian politics and governance. The debutant Aam Admi Party(AAP) that stormed into power in Delhi promising to wipe out corruption has jolted political equations in India. Its brilliant performance in Delhi polls and popularity elsewhere in the country makes it a force to reckon with. Its leader Arvind Kejriwal is already been compared with the India’s two other political stalwarts touted as future prime minsters: Rahul Gandhi of the ruling Congress led UPA and Narendra Modi of the BJP.

Let’s talk about the corruption issue that the AAP promises to tackle head on. It has set up an anti graft helpline that received 3904 calls on its first day of operation.  The helpline will offer ‘government advice’ to the callers to set up sting operations on corrupt officials. This is seen as an unprecedented step in India’s fight against corruption.

Will it work? First of all given the depth of corruption in India where everyone seems to be affected, the very presence and the publicity of the helpline will make a difference.  The results may be far more dramatic if a few officials are named and shamed for taking bribes, and are persecuted. What is really laudable is that it gives helpless citizens to resort to something immediately to redress their grievances against a corrupt official. The helpline will have pons and cons, but if handled properly it can at least be the beginning of a battle against a deeply rooted problem in India.

In India corruption is not just about paying bribes to get things done but it interlinked with deeply prejudiced social practices of class and caste.. The entrenched class based bureaucracy, which is a fall out of colonialism, emphasizes on safe guarding the status and power of those on the top. The culture of hierarchy is such that it not only needs to be preserved but must function in a manner so that it commands worship, respect and inflicts fear on ordinary citizens. In rural areas this is further reinforced by the caste system.   

The beacon lights on cars, the  need to address someone as ‘sir’ or ‘madam’, personal subservience to superiors at work,  the indifference to others, the need to assert one’s identity to get things done, the power of might, abuse of domestic workers and people who are less privileged are some of the many visible cultural practices that directly or indirectly breeds and promotes corruption.

Such system of arrogance that essentially abuse human rights and dignity of others must be eliminated. Fortunately, there is a growing consensus that such things are wrong : the Supreme Court of India has banned the use of beacon lights, the AAP has vowed to bring in a culture of simplicity and transparency by shunning excess facilities that surrounds VIP. These again might look symbolic and small measures but again it’s at least a start of a big process to change the mindset of the people.

 The behaviour outlined above is propelled by greed and mad rush for wealth, something that has been a characteristic of all developing economies. But in the 21^st century, the answer to solve many of these problems lies in technology. It is the only way in a country like India to leap frog the human barriers to get access to something. Technology brings in accountability and transparency.  Only a few years back, getting a passport in India was a nightmare, thanks to technology and the state –of – the- art passport offices, the process is much simpler and easier now.

At institutional level fighting corruption in India will require multiple approaches. It will require systematic reform of work culture. This must include providing better infrastructure at work places (look at India’s police stations, hospitals and government schools you don’t want there to be again!), it will require installing a very sense of professionalism and a reward system based on performance. Such reforms and measures of checks and balances are equally needed along side a mechanism for vigilance to win the battle against corruption in India.      

Voters in India want their country to be a land of dreams

The election results of four major Indian states Chattishgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi spelt a major blow for the Congress –led UPA government at the Centre. The ruling Congress party has been bogged by a series of huge corruption scandals, poor governance and mismanagement of the economy.

The results couldn’t have been better for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), whose prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 national elections, Narendra Modi has become a new hero in Indian politics. It’s mainly because of his government’s ability to deliver good governance and a steady economic growth in the western Indian state of Gujrat. It’s believed that if the rest of India could match Gujarat’s economic model and growth, India could easily outstrip France’s economy.

What is remarkable about the election results in Delhi is the spectacular performance of the Aam Admi Party(AAP) which literally means a common man party. The debutant party campaigned in style promising to clean up Indian politics and led a very aggressive door-to-door campaign. Their strategic campaign caught up the imagination of many of India’s young and first time voters-   and it paid off.

The election results and manner in which people voted reflects a changing dynamics in the fast changing Indian society. Delhi, for example, is made up of urban voters, whose living standard and access to public facilities are better compared to other states that went to polls earlier this week. There is also a vibrant media and people are well informed. The divisive politics of caste and religion that characterized Indian political landscape in 1990s doesn’t really hold ground in Delhi.

For the rest of India too, the 2014 national elections are going to be very different, again because a big chunk of first time voters are young and have aspirations for a better life.

When India voted in earlier elections, the country was still at the early stages of economic growth, and many of the first time voters were growing up. These new voters have seen what it means to be prosperous, rich, and modern – partly due to the media and globalization. Unlike their parents, who had a different mindset and really didn’t have access to a lot of new things like the media, the internet, mobile phones and a view of the larger world. The new generation, on the other hand, has role models within the society. There are rich and well to do families in the neighborhood that have had the privilege of good education and other basic things in life. They are increasingly aware that development and corruption free governance is what eventually counts. In this aspect, Modi’s development model in Gujrat and his charisma makes him popular.

Indian society is like the waves in the sea - the ones that come later are more powerful and larger. Earlier, being a product of public school, foreign educated and coming from a dynastic background did matter, not just in politics but also in the society at large.  Thanks to India’s educated middle class, IT boom and economic growth millions joined what was earlier an exclusive growth.

Now millions more have joined in on the first rung in that ladder, from living in a state of absolute ignorance to be able to see the light at the end of tunnel.  Millions more are waiting in the wings. They are aware of their rights, want to grow and have a say.

 It’s with this belief they have voted in Delhi and else where, and this might also echo in the national elections: they want India to be a land of dreams.